"It's not because people are at the end of life that they don't want to talk about everyday things. Everyone is still mad at the Habs or whatever. They're still people, they still know what's going on," she said.

Among those lively patients is Flo. The 92-year-old spent Thursday chatting with the students about her life, raising her family, and her job working at the Lachute Watchman newspaper.

"They've got a lot to learn but we can also learn from them. It can work both ways," said Flo.

Amy Schecter said after just four days, she is learning quite a bit from the patients at the centre, especially "to really enjoy life. As cliché as it may sound life is super important. Live it, have fun with it, and do your best."

The West Island Palliative Care Centre hopes to expand the project next year by offering one course in English and another in French.

Photos

15 Montreal teenagers are learning about life and death at the West Island Palliative Care Centre this summer